


Malice Desists

by WhyMrSpook



Series: I welcome the sentiment [2]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: F/F, Girls' Night, James T. Kirk & Nyota Uhura Friendship, Lesbian Character of Color, Lesbians in Space, POV Nyota Uhura, Sleepovers, cute story about spock and t'pring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-11 02:36:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11705043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhyMrSpook/pseuds/WhyMrSpook
Summary: Uhura and T'Pring host Janice and Christine for a girls' night in. T'Pring tries painfully hard to please her human, and Nyota worries over their relationship.





	Malice Desists

**Author's Note:**

> Bringing this over from Tumblr.

“I do not understand the purpose of this exercise.” T’Pring said, following Nyota towards the replicator at the other side of her room, despite making absolutely zero effort to lower her voice so that Christine and Janice might not hear. It was one of the many absence of subtleties that T’Pring had displayed thus far to the other women, and it was less endearing when she considered how upsetting she’d found it when directed towards herself. She adored T'Pring, clearly, or they wouldn't have tried to embark on a relationship. But there had to be compromise. Nyota had never dated a full-Vulcan before, but she had faith that eventually it would be worth it. They just had to get past the teething problems.

“It’s a sleepover, tal-kam.” Nyota informed her girlfriend for what felt like the tenth time that day. “It’s a thing that humans do. To bond and share experiences. It enables relationships to grow.” She procured their chosen cocktail of the night, replicated in a jug with straws and umbrella sticks to boot.

“But if we’re unwelcome company, we can always leave you two to cosy up tonight?” Janice called from the bed, amusement lacing her tone. Janice, at least, could always be relied on to see the humour in things. Chris was somewhere between Nyota and Janice- witty and sharp, but not quite as  cuttingly sarcastic as Janice; her maternal instincts tended to outweigh her desire to party and drink and laugh away her time.

“That would indeed be a more efficient use of time.” T’Pring said factually, following Nyota in her path back towards the bed. 

Nyota paused, mouth fumbling for one of the straws for just a moment before she drank deeply from the jug, relishing the taste of cherry and alcohol. Hell, she needed it.

“If we are to spend tomorrow evening celebrating Commander Scott’s birthday in the company of crew, why must we also give up our time this evening?”

It was almost petulant, and Nyota might have laughed outright if she wasn’t starting to get irritated. Spock was fun to tease, but T’Pring was not remotely human. She was Vulcan, through and through, and Nyota had no intention of sending her mixed signals.

“Because they’re my friends, and I want to spend time with them. I want them to get to know you outside of card games and parties. This is just us. This is what we did before you joined the crew. If your only problem is you don’t get me all to yourself, then deal with it. If you have some other issue, then I’d rather you  _leave_  than carry on complaining at me!” An awkward silence reigned in her quarters for just a moment, and T’Pring looked rather like she’d been punched in the gut. Nyota took a deep breath, willing away her bad mood. “Of course, then I won’t get to paint your nails with the earth constellations like you wanted.”

That seemed to ease some of the tension. T’Pring’s shoulders twitched, only slightly, but enough that one of the braids fell onto her back. Looking fully reprimanded, she stuck her hand out towards Nyota and her fingers curled slowly in until she presented a Vulcan kiss. Behind the Vulcan, Chris and Janice sat on the bed giggling through their hands. Nyota fixed them with a steady glare, but neither paid her any attention. T’Pring didn’t seem to mind, though; all her focus was on Nyota, and her brows had furrowed in that particularly subtle way that indicated regret. Nyota had seen it a few times, now. Most often when she seemed to offend someone without intention. Like Spock, she valued efficiency and precision in her role as Science Officer. But T’Pring wasn’t ruthless, and she didn’t like reprimanding her team for mistakes. Especially not when she compared most Starfleet practices to the VSA, and most often came to the conclusions that Humans were too flawed to advance further in their fields. T’Pring always regretted when her conclusions made young officers or ensigns upset, and she  _was_  getting better at avoiding such incidents. With help from Nyota, of course, and – she suspected – Spock too.

“Forgive me, ashayam. On Vulcan, relationships such as Earth friendships are uncommon. Bonds are familial or romantic.”

“I know. Just, try it darling.” Nyota took the kiss and reciprocated in turn. “I promise, you’ll enjoy it. Will you have some chocolate?”

“Say you will, T’Pring!” Janice interrupted, clasping her hands together as if in prayer and kneeling on the bed towards them. “We’ve been trying to spike Spock’s drinks for months, he never falls for it! And if he does, Jim always rescues him before we see the good stuff!”

“Your intentions for your superior officers are concerning.” T’Pring replied, turning to face the girls. “Perhaps later, Janice.” She sat on the edge of the bed- ridiculously formal, compared to the rest of them in pyjamas, but with an adorable vulnerability to the action. Oh, she tried so hard for Nyota. “Nyota, please, paint my nails. I shall tell you about the day Spock and I were bonded, when he was 7.3 years and I, 7.8.”

“Oh, yes.” Christine laughed, throwing her head back. “No, that’s so much better than getting her drunk. Do tell us, T’Pring!”

Nyota smiled and sat, her earlier anger a thing of the past. While Nyota adored T’Pring, knew with certainty there was nowhere else she wanted to be, the route their relationship had taken was positively… human. And  _slow_ , at that. It was why she wanted so desperately for the girls to get to know T’Pring more, to understand where her relationship was at. It was all just… confusing. Spock had been less daunting, in a way. Or maybe Nyota had just been younger, and more stubborn. Concern seemed to flow in her veins these days, and the worry that a crush on a beautiful green woman did not necessarily equate to a healthy, long lasting relationship. It was like Jim had been so scared of... Vulcans needed more than the human romance. Human couples didn't tend to know  _everything_ about their partners - it was healthier that was, Nyota thought. But Vulcans were different. The future of Nyota's relationship with T'Pring would eventually, inevitably, have to be a bond. 

It was only natural she she start to have doubts, surely?

“I will not bore you with the specifics of the bonding, though it was a mutually beneficial agreement. As children, Spock and I were close, and intellectual rivals. He was, in Terran terms, a child genius.” T’Pring explained, and Nyota leaned back against the foot of the bed and found a nail file to begin her girlfriend’s manicure. She pushed away any of her doubts before she dared to touch T’Pring again, holding her hand tenderly and starting her strokes. “We were bonded at precisely midday and our parents agreed that a joint lunch would be most logical in light of the new bond. Of course, we were both well versed in meditation and Surak’s teachings by the age of seven, and none more so than Spock. The bond was new, however, and required time to settle. We were both compromised and vulnerable to childish impulses. We left dinner and decided to engage in a game of chess.”

“Thrilling stuff, T’Pring.”

Nyota kicked at Janice and gestured for her girlfriend to continue. It was sort of peculiar to hear tales of her ex’s bonding to her current girlfriend, when they were children. Spock remained her best friend, and it wasn’t as if she wasn’t interested in stories about his childhood. On the contrary, once it would have been her utmost privilege if Amanda had decided to recall some anecdote despite Vulcan privacy. Only, things were different now and, however much she reminded herself their bond had only been preliminary and not exactly  _marriage_ , Nyota still found she settled best when she didn’t think about T’Pring in any sort of romantic context. Childhood best friends were sweet, undeniably, but ex-intendeds was weird. Heavens above, it was  _all_  weird.  

“We played quickly and most irrationally. As a full Vulcan, I managed a modicum more control than Spock and was able to beat him swiftly. He did not anticipate such an occurrence and promptly burst out laughing.”

For all the niggling uncertainty bothering Nyota, she couldn’t regret the warmth in T’Pring’s dark eyes when she spoke of her childhood with Spock. Despite her tense relationship with her father, Nyota liked knowing that there were some memories from her childhood that T’Pring looked back on fondly. The girls didn’t quite register that emotional response from T’Pring though, and Nyota liked it. Selfish thought it was, she enjoyed the notion that only _she_ could read T'Pring's subtle shifts in expression.

“Spock?” Christine repeated, dropping a straw from her mouth and passing the cocktail jug to Janice. “Laughing?”

“Quite vigorously. I admit to having lost control over my facial muscles at irregular intervals also.” There was a pretty green blush crawling up T’Pring’s exposed neck, and down her perfect cheekbones. It set perfectly against the silvery eyeshadow look she’d gone for that morning- Nyota had watched from the bed, transfixed by her beauty and also her complete reluctance to go to work. Heavens, couldn’t that be enough? T’Pring was… achingly beautiful. Why did Nyota even bother worrying about a future with her, when she was right there and so perfect and trying so very hard to be what Nyota needed.

“Our parents heard our outbursts and came to find us in the drawing room, in what Spock’s mother described as ‘rather a state’. I was made to meditate for an hour before my parents could escort me home, at which point I continued to meditate until supper.”

The atmosphere in the room tensed considerably, and Janice lowered the cocktail jug to look down the bed. The discomfort in their reactions was so obvious, Nyota couldn’t think of a single thing to say to counteract it. God, this was where Kirk came in useful to diffuse the situation. It was just another occasion in which the humans on the ship were confronted with Vulcan norms, and found themselves completely unable to relate.

“Wow.” Christine finally said, awkwardly, drawing her legs up to her chest.

“Wow’s an understatement. You laughed, so they made you meditate for hours?” Janice looked astounded, and Nyota took a deep breath to intercede. It was awful, really, but she wasn’t particularly surprised by her human friends’ difficulty grasping Vulcan culture. What dismayed her, beyond anything, was that T’Pring was trying so hard to bond with the girls for Nyota’s sake. And,  _lord_ , how long would it take before they accepted that Vulcan’s chose logic over emotion? Most Vulcans didn't _have_ a sense of humour. It was just... unnatural for Vulcan's to laugh. If T'Pring laughed now, Nyota would call for Doctor McCoy. 

Again, Nyota was being selfish. Cowardly, even. But she couldn't help but wonder how long it would be before the awkward silences dissipated, and conversation flowed as naturally as it did for Spock. Or god, would it ever? Spock wasn’t exactly known for his ease around most humans and T’Pring was even worse at being tactful. Nyota sort of adored their new Science Officer, but it didn't make it any less daunting a responsibility to help her integrate into a human ship.

“It’s not like that- Jan. Vulcans meditate so they don’t let emotions overwhelm them.” Nyota explained, but it felt almost as if she was reiterating points her friends already knew inside out. It was as if they simply didn’t want to accept that a child should repress that which made them laugh and smile. As ever, everything was much more complicated than that. Beside her, T’Pring looked somehow smaller where she sat. Her brows indicated that same regret again, like maybe she had been wrong to attempt to share the story, and the girls were rejecting her for her mistake. Of course, it probably didn’t help that Nyota was still touching her bare skin and projecting all the anxiety she had to her girlfriend and,  _crap_ , she hadn’t meant to do that.

“Right.” Chris said, in a bright, factual tone. “So, what’s a Vulcan bonding ceremony actually like T’Pring? I imagine we’ll need to educate ourselves on these things sooner or later.”

T’Pring replied factually, but she’d retreated back under her shield of impassivity- she spoke like she did when making a report at a meeting, and Nyota tried not to feel the weight of her worry so strongly. Instead, she pushed adoration and comfort through her fingertips and moved on to painting the base of T’Pring’s nails. Maybe, she decided, it was still a touch too early to have expected miracles of a friendship from the others. They should have stuck to drinks and card games for a little while longer.

 

 

 

It was hours later, when Janice and Chris had finally called it a night and traipsed across the ship in their pyjamas back to their own respective quarters that Nyota finally let her tension drain away. She sat, half dazed from cocktails and moderately exhausted from the long, trying night, and watched T’Pring. She was propped up in far too many cushions, and sipping on a pre-emptive glass of water- just in case. T’Pring had insisted, reciting the effects of alcohol consumption on the human body. Nyota didn’t really object. In fact, she rather enjoyed being cared for by her Vulcan. It saved a trip to sickbay in the morning, demanding that Leonard administered her a hangover hypo because, heavens,  _if you can spare one for yourself and Kirk twice a week you can damn well give me one, Leonard._

T’Pring stood by the bed, looking particularly distant. All night she’d been the same- awkward and closed off, despite Nyota’s best intentions to ease her apparent discomfort. Logically, she knew these things were going to get easier with time. But the reckless emotion her humanity provided her was otherwise distracted by the crushing reality that T’Pring might never feel remotely comfortable to spend too much time with Nyota’s friends. But that was fine, right? It was… it needed thinking about, another time, when she wasn’t so close to sleep.

“Is there anything else you require before sleep, Nyota?”

“Just you, Ashaya.”

Nyota was momentarily distracted by the grace with which T’Pring walked- the way her Vulcan robes clung and then draped so perfectly- lilac, offsetting the pale green of her arms and slender neck. Nothing compared to watching her slip out of clothes though, and under the covers with Nyota. More than comfortable now.

“Thank you for tonight, T’Pring.  I know it wasn’t your idea of a good time. It means a lot that you got involved.”

“I would do a great deal more for you, Nyota.” T’Pring said quietly. “Bolau tu shom.”  _You need to rest._

Nyota smiled sleepily. “We’ll meld tomorrow, if you like." She didn't wait for a reply. "I’d like that.” She felt soft lips press against her temple, and fingers trailing along her arm in a Vulcan gesture too. It was all compromise.  _Logically_ , Nyota knew that. T'Pring wasn't human, and Nyota wasn't always going to love the idea of having someone else rattling around in her mind. But they'd make it work - if only for moments like this. Curled up together, warm and sleepy and quite content in the dark.

“I should like that immensely, Ashayam. Now sleep.”

Nyota nodded. She couldn’t keep her eyes open if she wanted to, and burrowed in closer to her Vulcan. Tomorrow, they’d agreed to breakfast with Spock and Kirk. She would  _not_ allow either Kirk to laugh his ass off at her for being hungover, or Spock and T’Pring to bitch about her in rapid Vulcan, as if she couldn’t understand. She was quite happy to sleep, safe and loved, and push all her doubts and fears about their relationship away to deal with another time.


End file.
